BROOKSVILLE - Hernando Youth League Softball will hold spring season registrations at Tom Varn Park from 10 a.m. until noon on the following dates: Jan. 11, 18, 25 and Feb. 1.

The registration fee will be $90. Credit cards will now be accepted. Registration must be in person and a copy of the child's birth certificate is required.

The league will be offering four free mini spring training camps to all registered players on Saturday mornings during registration.

For more information, visit www.hylsoftball.com or the league's Facebook page, or call (352) 584-7541.

Brooksville Gun and Knife Show

BROOKSVILLE - The Hernando Sportsman's Club is sponsoring its annual winter Gun and Knife Show at the Hernando County Fairgrounds, located at 6436 Broad St. (U.S. Hwy. 41) in Brooksville, on Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Jan. 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The show will feature all types of new, used and antique firearms, knives and related accessories for sale.

Adult admission tickets are $6, with children age 16 and under admitted free with adult. Parking is free.

Vendor rental tables are available for $60 each. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

Future 2014 shows include: March 15-16, Aug. 9-10 and Dec. 6-7.

For more information, call Randie at (352) 799-3605 or visit: www.hernandosportsmansclub.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hernando-Sportsmans-Club/181824431850883.

Sportsman's Club Swap Meet

BROOKSVILLE - The Hernando Sportsman's Club is sponsoring a swap meet on Feb. 16, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The swap meet will be held in the Hernando Sportsman's Club clubhouse, located at 16121 Commercial Way (U.S. Highway 19) in Brooksville.

Table rentals are available. The fee is $10 per table for Hernando Sportsman's Club members; non-members pay $20 per table.

Club members are admitted free. Non-members pay $3 per person. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

For more information, call the clubhouse at (352) 597-9931, or visit www.hernandosportsmansclub.com or www.facebook.com/pages/Hernando-Sportsmans-Club/181824431850883.

Adult softball, kickball leagues

BROOKSVILLE - The City of Brooksville Parks/Facilities and Recreation's adult softball leagues will be starting up in the coming months.

Men's games start March 17 and will take place every Monday. Women's games start March 18 and will run every Tuesday, and co-ed games begin March 20 and will be played every Thursday.

The leagues, for ages 16 and up, will play at Jerome Brown Community Center. Player fee is $20, new team NSA fee is $25 and sponsor fees are $250.

A mandatory team meeting for managers is scheduled for Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m., at the Jerome Brown Community Center.

A representative from each team is requested to be in attendance at the meeting for important spring season information.

The City of Brooksville Co-ed Kickball League, for men and women ages 16 and up, starts March 19 and will run every Wednesday at Tom Varn Park.

Player fee is $20, sponsor fees are $250.

A mandatory team meeting for managers will be held Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. at the Jerome Brown Community Center. A representative from each team is requested to be in attendance at this meeting for important spring season information.

For more information, contact the City of Brooksville Parks/Facilities and Recreation Department at (352) 540-3835.

This program is designed for kids who are being or have been bullied, as well as their parents and those who suspect bullying is occurring.

Parents will learn the signs that indicate their child is a victim of bullying. Children will learn to not be afraid to tell a friend, parent, teacher or person of authority that they are being bullied.

The class will offer effective ways to communicate with each other at school or in the workplace to stop bullying.

This program is modeled after the award-winning book "Spirit of the Tiger," written by Soke Jay Blanton about his own struggles and triumphs with bullying.

The program will be held at Tone U Fitness Center located at 6254 Commercial Way. Space is limited.

Also, self-defense classes are held throughout the week as follows: senior self-defense, Tuesdays from 3 to 4 p.m.; adult karate (ages 13 and up), Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 7 p.m.; self-defense, Thursdays from 3 to 4 p.m.; and women's self-defense, Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon.

For more information, contact Master Robert Blanton at (352) 345-1292 or Tone U Fitness at (352) 596-9996.

A barbeque lunch kicks off the event at 11:30 a.m., with golf starting promptly at 1 p.m. There will be a pre-tournament social at Red Mule Pub Jan. 17 from 7 to 10 p.m.

The cost is $75 per player. Leopard Baseball booster sponsorships are available for $40. With the donation you and your business will receive in-game announcements throughout the entire 2014 Leopard baseball varsity and JV seasons.

All proceeds from the golf scramble will go toward purchasing equipment for the 2014 season.

For more information, contact Harry Timmons Jr. at (352) 585-244 or htimmonsjr@gmail.com.

All programs are on Saturdays at Chocachatti Elementary School, with the winter season starting Jan. 11 and the spring season March 29.

No mandatory fundraising or volunteering, and everyone plays (no tryouts). Coaches are screened and certified, and games are played in a safe and instructive environment.

For more information, or to register, go to www.i9sports.com or call (352) 544-2995 Monday through Friday.

HSUA umpire clinics set

SPRING HILL - Hernando Sumter Umpires Association, the largest baseball/softball umpires association in the West Central Florida area for over 10 years, will be holding several umpire clinics for men and women over the age of 16 who want to become certified amateur baseball or softball umpires.

The dates and locations are as follows: Jan. 18 at the Lake Panasoffkee Community Center at noon, Jan. 25 at the Anderson Snow Sport Complex at 10 a.m., and Feb. 2 at Wesley Chapel District Park at 10 a.m.

During these three-plus hour extensive umpire clinics, students will be taught and tested on the mechanics of the game. All of the participants must first take a 100-question test based on Major League Baseball, high school, AAU, USSSA and Dixie rules.

The cost of this clinic is $25 per person.

An HSUA umpire can make an average of $20 per hour working part-time on nights and weekends.

HSUA has over 18 leagues it deals with in Hernando, Citrus, Sumter and Pasco counties, and currently has over 90 umpires on its roster.

These events will have limited seating and registration is required. To sign up or for more information visit the HSUA clinic web page at: http://hernandosumterumpire.homestead.com/2014-Clinic-Sign-Up-Page.html .

For more information, contact HSUA at umpire@hernandosumterumpire.com or by phone Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at (352) 593-6998.

NRA classes offered

BROOKSVILLE - The Hernando Sportsman's Club is offering several special NRA classes.

The NRA Basic Shotgun-Student class is scheduled for Friday, from 6 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The NRA Basic Shotgun-Student course teaches the basic knowledge, skills and attitude necessary for the safe use of a shotgun in shooting a moving target. Students receive classroom and range time learning to shoot shotguns.

Instructor candidates must possess and demonstrate a solid background in firearm safety and shooting skills and be intimately familiar with each action type in the discipline they wish to be certified. Candidates will learn NRA policies and procedures; basic public speaking skills; training methodology; use of a training team and training aids; organizing a course; building a budget; and preparing to teach.

Students will receive the NRA trainer's guidebook. Cost of the course is $100.

A NRA Pistol-Instructor class is set for Feb. 1-2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Instructor candidates learn how to teach safe gun handling, ammunition knowledge, the fundamentals of pistol shooting, and how to improve the performance of beginning pistol shooters.

Candidates must pass exam with a score of at least 90 percent and receive endorsement of training counselor for certification.

Pre-requisites: Completion of both the NRA Basic Pistol-Student class and NRA BIT class. The NRA BIT class must have been completed within two years previously. Cost of the course is $300.

A NRA Rifle-Instructor class is set for March 8-9, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Instructor candidates learn how to teach safe gun handling, ammunition knowledge, the fundamentals of rifle shooting, and how to improve the performance of beginning rifle shooters.

Candidates must pass exam with a score of at least 90 percent and receive endorsement of training counselor for certification.

Pre-requisites: Completion of both the NRA Basic Rifle-Student class and NRA BIT class. The NRA BIT class must have been completed within two years previously. Cost of the course is $300.

A NRA Shotgun-Instructor course will run March 22-23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Instructor candidates learn how to teach safe gun handling, ammunition knowledge, the fundamentals of shotgun shooting, and how to improve the performance of beginning shotgun shooters.

Candidates must pass exam with a score of at least 90 percent and receive endorsement of training counselor for certification.

Pre-requisites: Completion of both the NRA Basic Shotgun-Student class and NRA BIT class. The NRA BIT class must have been completed within two years previously. Cost of the course is $200.

Preregistration is required for all classes.

To preregister, or more information on the courses, call Hernando Sportsman's Club at (352) 597-9931 or visit www.hernandosportsmansclub.com.

New archery program at Sportsman's Club

BROOKSVILLE - The Hernando Sportsman's Club is pleased to announce a new archery program starting in January.

Beginning Sunday, the 50-yard range will be open to the public for general archery practice on the second Sunday of each month.

No crossbows are allowed and no broad heads. Field points only.

The club will also be soon offering the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Online Archery Program's field-day exercises of their online archery class. This hands-on field-day exercise includes lessons on bow setup and shooting, field walks, blood-trail exercises, erecting and safely ascending and descending from tree stands, as well as equipment preparation and survival techniques.

For more information, or sign up and take the online archery class, visit www.myfwc.org/hunting/safety-education/bowhunter.

For further information, contact the club at (352) 597-9931 or visit www.hernandosportsmansclub.com.

Girls Night Out trap shoot group

BROOKSVILLE - The Hernando Sportsman's Club is pleased to announce a new "Girls Night Out" trap shooting group starting in January.

The ladies trap shooting group will meet the first Thursday night of the month at the trap range, from 6 to 8 p.m.

For those who have never tried out trap shooting or don't have their own shotgun, the club will be providing 20-gauge shotguns for the ladies group to use.

For those using a club shotgun, be sure to bring at least two boxes of 20-gauge ammo, ear plugs and eye protection. You may use your own shotgun, too.

The trap range fee is $5 for members/$8 for non-members for two games of trap.

The Hernando Sportsman's Club is located at 16121 Commercial Way (U.S. 19) in Brooksville.

For more information, contact the club at (352) 597-9931, visit www.hernandosportsmansclub.com or the club's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hernando-Sportsmans-Club/181824431850883.

FHSAA Sunshine State Spirit Showdown

GAINESVILLE - Passionate sports rivalries are a way of life in Florida high schools, and now schools across the state have the opportunity to prove who has the best cheering section.

The Florida High School Athletics Association has launched the Sunshine State Spirit Showdown, a video contest in which students are encouraged to submit videos showing their classmates and community exhibiting positive sportsmanship while rooting for their favorite school.

Students across Florida are invited to submit appropriate videos proving that their school has the best fans. The videos can run from 90 seconds to three minutes, including at least 30 seconds of why that school's student section is the greatest.

Students can upload their videos to www.fhsaa.org/upload by Jan. 31. Fans will then have the chance to vote for their favorite video, with voting to last from Feb. 6 to March 6, and those online votes will factor into judging.

Members of the FHSAA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will conduct official judging on March 7. The winning school will be announced on March 10 and will receive a plaque and banner from the FHSAA.

Students are encouraged to make the videos unique by including anything from picture montages and background music, to special chants, or even choreographed dances. Judges will base their decision on sportsmanship, participation, school spirit, organization, creativity and fun. All students are welcome to participate, from football players to band members, from soccer players to yearbook staffers.

Full details about the Sunshine State Spirit Showdown contest, including video requirements, voting and judging, are available at http://www.fhsaa.org/departments/special-programs/sunshine-state-spirit-showdown.

Globetrotters coming to USF

TAMPA - The world famous Harlem Globetrotters will take fan interaction to a new level when the 2014 "Fans Rule" World Tour comes to the USF Sun Dome on March 7 at 7 pm.

Online voting is now open at harlemglobetrotters.com/rule, where all fans can choose which new game-changing rules they want to see in their hometown.

The Globetrotters were the first organization in sports and entertainment to let fans vote on rules when the team introduced the concept last year. Since the fan response was so overwhelming, the team is doing it again - but with a major twist.

The 2014 online ballot includes three never-before-seen revolutionary rules:

Hot Hand Jersey - Both teams will have a "Hot Hand Jersey" they can pass among each other. The player who is wearing this jersey will receive double points on made baskets.

Make or Miss - The quarter begins with only two players on the court for each team. When a team scores, a teammate may enter the game. When they miss, the player missing the shot must leave the court, leaving his or her teammates shorthanded.

Trick Shot Challenge - Via three challenge flags per team, each coach can challenge the other team to make a trick shot. If the team makes the trick shot, they earn five points. If they miss, the other team receives five points.

With a roster showcasing stars such as Special K Daley, Big Easy, Lofton, Flight Time Lang, Hi-Lite Bruton and Dizzy Grant - plus female stars TNT Maddox, T-Time Brawner and Sweet J Ekworomadu - the Globetrotters' one-of-a-kind family show features mesmerizing ball-handling, an assortment of trick shots, high-flying dunks and precise timing - all with an array of comedy guaranteed to entertain the young and the young at heart.

After virtually every game, Globetrotter stars remain on the court for autographs and photographs with fans.

Tickets for this event are now on sale. Ticket prices are $24.75, $32.75, $40.75, $56.75 and $111.75. Additional fees may apply.

Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, by calling (800) 745-3000 or at the Sun Dome Box Office. Sign up for the SD VIP Pass to receive all the information you need about this event and others at www.SunDomeArena.com.

Groups of 10 or more may save $7 per ticket on select prices.

For more information, contact Rachel Meyrowitz at (813)974-8916 or meyrowitzr@usf.edu.

J.C. Karate offering classes

RIDGE MANOR - J.C. Karate is currently offering classes starting for only $30 a month.

Come out and train under Soke Master Jason P. Chase Sr., a two-time Triple Crown state champion and 2011 National Instructor of the Year, with no hidden fees or surprise costs, in a family-friendly environment where character development and life skills along with martial arts training will taught.

J.C. Karate is located in Ridge Manor at 31162 Cortez Blvd., in the Winn-Dixie plaza, or in Brooksville at 22293 Cortez Blvd., at the Brooksville Dance Academy.

Hole sponsors, paying $50 per hole, will have their company name posted at one (or more) of the 18 holes, or a banner can be provided to hang in the clubhouse. All sponsors will be listed in the program for the event.

For more information, contact Betty O'Brien at The Ridge, (352) 608-4800 or rmogolf@hotmail.com.

Firearms safety classes

BROOKSVILLE - The Hernando Sportsman's Club is offering several firearms safety classes over the next few months.

The class dates include Jan. 18, Feb. 5, Feb. 15 and March 5. A special "ladies only" firearms safety course will be held on March 22.

All classes are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hernando Sportsman's Club, 16121 Commercial Way.

This is an introductory "First Steps" orientation class for new shooters. The courses cover lessons about the basics of firearms safety around the home; intro to pistol safety, parts and operation; intro to ammo and the fundamentals of pistol shooting; intro to pistol shooting from the seated and standing position; and intro to pistol cleaning and storage.

The classes include instruction, live-fire training on the range and a lunch break. All materials and equipment needed for the class and live-fire training is provided to students, including the use of a .22-caliber firearm, ammo, earplugs and eye protection.

The cost is $60. Successful completion of this class also provides required documentation to apply for a Florida concealed carry permit if desired.